Egyptian cinema is rich and always surprising whether it’s the talented actors, the rich storylines, or the romance with extra cheese but what really grabs our attention is a good plot twist. You know what I’m talking about, right? It’s when you feel like you’ve been slapped across the face once or twice… these curveball scenes are the best because they essentially redefine the entire film’s course. What takes things up a notch and turns a solid twist into a great twist is when you’ve gone dumbstruck, unable to communicate your feelings verbally instead you just point and gasp at the screen until you spill the popcorn bowl on the floor, admit it, we’ve all been there. So here are six wild unexpected Egyptian film twists, that even the annoying family member that always foresees the ending are themselves dumbstruck.
“Tesbah ala Kher” (Good Night)
Singer and Actor Tamer Hosny’s hit film, “Tesbah ala Kher” while it shined for many reasons; mainly having a unique storyline, the hypothetical idea of jumping into different worlds while being a different character would intrigue anyone. But what is even more of an attention grab is the twist, it’s when it is revealed that Hossam (Hosny)’s wife Aiydah played by Nour has been trying to make him lose his mind so she can control his money, the film’s tone shifts and so does our positioning on the sofa as we gasp, “how could she?!”
“Aswar el Amar” (The Walls of the Moon)
You know the story, girl loves guy, girl loses her eyesight and temporary memory and turns out this whole time she’s been living with a different guy? Yup, that’s “Aswar el Amar” for you, or at least I think, depends on who you ask… hope it’s not Rasheed (Asser Yassine), or is it Ahmed (Amr Saad)? This film truly had us going with the twists and turns, that we just needed to know how it was going to end already.
Hepta
At a first glance, “Hepta” might be classified as a perfectly good romantic comedy; however, things change 180 degrees as it’s unmasked that the four main characters we’ve been following this whole time, through their love stories, are actually the…same guy. It becomes a reflection, a meditation on love rather than a cute superficial take on separate relationships. Maybe you can see the signs coming the next time around, but admit it’s a pretty solid twist.
Ebn Al Qonsol (The Son of el Qnsol)
After being led on a wild ride by Actor Ahmed el Sakka throughout the film, thinking that he’s an uptight sheikh who’s just trying to reconnect with his father post his release from jail; turns out that is so far from the truth. He’s only connecting with him because this guy, “el qonsol” (Khaled Saleh) conned his family, so to get back at him he plans an elaborate scheme part of which is having his wife, pretend to be a prostitute.
Fasel Wa Na’od ( A Break and We’ll Be Back)
The memory-reliant film, “Fasel Wa Na’od” tracks Kareem Abdel Aziz’s character as he tries to find his kidnapped son all while having quite short, flashes of memories that he forgets instantly. That is until he puts the pieces together and figures out that the ‘friend’ that has been helping him out this whole time was actually the same person hitting up his father-in-law for money, framing him as the kidnapper while all of this is actually is his evil-doing …tadadaa! This film focused on an element of intrigue and suspense at the time of its release that we didn’t quite yet have then. That twist made what was already a good film a great film.
Asef ala el Ezaag (Sorry to Disturb)
For Ahmed Helmy, the man who shines when he mainly does comedy, the biggest plot twist is that “Asef ala el Ezaag” might be one of his best films if not truly the best out there. It’s got a unique premise, fabulous acting, and to top it all off, a heartbreaking, cleverly woven twist. That scene, well two actually. In the first one, the late Dalal Abdel Aziz (playing his mom) tells him that his father is dead and he’s been hallucinating this whole time; which therefore clicks for the viewer that he’s mentally ill and has been hallucinating, period. The other scene is when Hassan (Helmy) turns up the music to block his father’s imaginary voice; a painful yet very powerful scene. No matter how many times you watch this film, know that you’ll still find important detail in it that will shock you just like the twist.
Let us know your favorite unexpected film twists and if you saw any of them coming?
WE SAID THIS: A solid twist is what truly makes a film soar.
